Staple lifter with gripping jaws

ABSTRACT

A staple-lifting tool has a pointed lower jaw adapted for insertion beneath a staple bridge and an upper jaw spaced closely above the lower jaw by a slot in which the bridge is received and closely confined substantially throughout the width of the staple by moving the tool forwardly until the flaring sides of the jaws span the width of the staple as it is drawn upwardly.

United States Patent Poskin ,Oct. 17, 1972 [54] STAPLE LIFTER WITH GRIPPING 2,563,227 8/1951 Emery ..254/28 JAWS 3,310,288 3/1967 Berry ..254/28 [72] Inventor: Irvin C. Poskin, 1828% South Robertson, Los Angeles, Cal. Primary Exammer-Othell M. Simpson Attorney--Lynn l-l. Latta 90035 [22] Filed: May 24, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 146,182 A staple-lifting tool has a pointed lower jaw adapted for insertion beneath a staple bridge and an upper jaw Related Appl'cauon Data spaced closely above the lower jaw by a slot in which [63] continuationqmpart f S 3 3 797 Oct. the bridge is received and closely confined substan- 6, 19 9 Pat No, 3 533 73. tially throughout the width of the staple by moving the tool forwardly until the flaring sides of the jaws span [52] U.S. Cl ..254/28 Width of F Staple as it is drawn p y- 511 Im. Cl ..B25c 11/00 [58] Field of Search ..254/28, 131

[56] References Cited 9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1/1909 Cochran .L.2s4/2s STAPLE LIFTER WITH GRIPPING JAWS RELATED APPLICATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A staple remover having V-shaped notches between pairs of jaws at respective sides of a blade, is disclosed in Berry U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,288. It is adapted to grip the staple pursuant to lateral tilting of the blade, but has no means for lifting the staple completely free of the embedding medium by fore-aft rocking movement. Rank U.S. Pat. No. 775,856, Vrana US. Pat. No. 1,802,687, and Cochran US. Pat. No. 910,173, each disclose a staple lifter having a central pointed spur for entering beneath a staple, and a fulcrum heel for foreaft rocking of the tool to lift the staple clear from the embedding medium, but they provide no means to grip the staple to prevent slipping where the staple is tightly embedded. Also such lifters are flat across the bottom at the point of entry and hence do not provide a means for sliding under a staple easily. In the staple lifter of my aforesaid application, staple-gripping slots are disposed laterally on each side of a pointed central entering claw.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The vertically spaced jaws of the present application have an improved more positive staple-gripping action. The entering (lower) jaw which is of generally spearhead shape in plan, has a narrow entering claw formed on its underside with a narrow land extending rearwardly from its entering point approximately'to a fulcrum about which the claw can be rocked as it is inserted with a prying action beneath a staple bridge. Above the entering claw, the lower jaw has a pair of lateral wings with rearwardly flaring side margins for wedging the lower jaw between the legs of a staple in centered relation thereto. The claw and wings have a common upper face which is spaced from the upper jaw by a shallow, generally flat slot beginning approximately at the forward extremities of the lateral wings (the entering claw projecting forwardly from those extremities and beyond the forward end of the upper jaw). The side margins of the upper jaw are flared rearwardly substantially in registration with the side margins of the lower jaw. Upon any tendency of the staple bridge to slip laterally between the jaws as it is being lifted, it will be effectively engaged between the lateral edges of the jaws defined at the intersections of their opposed slot-defining faces and their side margins with a non-slipping grip which will enforce the lifting of both legs simultaneously and equally.

Consistent with the foregoing, the object of the invention is to provide a staple lifter of improved effectiveness and maximum ease of operation in prying loose especially tightly anchored staples, and then removing them in a series of quickly successive movements.

Other objects will become apparent in the following specifications and appended drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a staple lifter embodying the invention;

' larged scale; and

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same, showing a final stage of staple lifting;

FIG. 3 is an inverted plan view of the lifter blade;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the blade;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the blade in an initial insertion stage of operation;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the blade in an intermediate stage of prying a staple loose from an anchoring surface;

FIG. 7 is a front end view of FIG. 8 is-a cross-sectional view of the blade, taken as indicated by line 8-8 of FIG. 2, showing a staple being lifted.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, I have shown therein, as an example or one form in which the invention may be embodied, a lifter for a staple A comprising a blade B having an integral shank C mounted in a handle D, operable to remove the staple A from an anchoring body B such as a floor or furniture frame.

Blade B includes a body 10 in the form of a bar of rectangular cross-section having a flat underface extending forwardly to a transverse fulcrum shoulder 11. Extending forwardly from shoulder 11 is a lower jaw 12 which terminates in a narrow entering claw 13 which has a chisel-shaped forward tip with an inclined bearing land l4 as its under face, and a thicker rearward body portion having an underneath land surface 15 joining the land 14 at a broad obtuse angle to define a forward pry shoulder 16. On respective sides of claw 13, the lower jaw 12 includes lateral centering Wings 17 having lateral margins 18 diverging rearwardly from the side margins of claw 13 to the wider breadth of the body of blade 10. The lateral margins 18 may be concavely arcuate as shown in FIG. 3 to facilitate their centering action. Wings 17 have upwardly and forwardly inclined under faces intersecting and terminating at a flat upper face which is common to claw l3 and wings 17. The forward extremities of wings 17 are spaced rearwardly from the forward entering edge of claw 13, so that the latter may be inserted beneath the bridge of a staple A in advance of entry of the wings 17 beneath the bridge (FIG. 5). The inclined under faces of wings l7 meet the under face of the body of blade 10 at a broad obtuse angle to join the intermediate fulcrum shoulder 11 located a short distance behind shoulder 16, for a secondary stage of rocking movement.

An upper jaw 20 projects forwardly from the body of blade 10 over the wings 17 of the lower jaw. Jaw 20 has a lower face which is closely spaced from and substantially parallel to the upper face of lower jaw 12, a slot 21 being defined between the jaws, with a shallow depth just slightly deeper than the wire thickness of the staple to be lifted. Thus, upon projecting the claw 13 through the staple and entry of the staple bridge into the slot 21, the upper jaw 20 will restrain the bridge from bowing upwardly under the upward pull against the bridge (FIG. 8) and the reactive loads at the corners of the staple, resisting the upward movement. As the outer extremities of the bridge tend to bend downwardly under these opposing forces, these extremities will bind and. hence be gripped between the opposed marginal edges of the two jaws as indicated generally in FIG. 8, with the result that the bridge will be held against lateral slip between the jaws which would tend to occur if one leg of the staple should resist the blade, on an enwithdrawal from body E more firmly than the other. This result will occur even though the lower jaw 12 is not projected through the staple to the full extent where it completely spans the space between the legs of the staple. However, the best results are obtained by inserting the jaw 12 to this full extent, the lateral margins of the jaw abutting the staple legs to exactly center the jaw with relation to the staple, thus equalizing the upward pull against the staple legs. I

The lateral margins of the two jaws are preferably of vertically matching contour so that their gripping edges, defined at the intersections of these lateral margins with the opposed faces of the jaws in slot 21, will be in vertically registering relation to more effectively grip the end portions of the staple bridge as they tend to bend downwardly.

The bottom face of blade 10 terminates rearwardly in a rearward fulcrum heel 25 joining it to the underside of an upwardly and rearwardly offset portion 26 of shank C which joins blade 10 to a rearward portion of the shank mounted in handle D. l-leel 25 provides for a final stage of rocking movement.

At the beginning of a staple-lifting operation, the tip of claw 13 is inserted under the staple bridge with a wedging action (FIG. 5) the land 14 flatly engaging surface E, and a gentle upward prying action is exerted by rocking the claw gently on the forward fulcrum shoulder 16. Following each increment of upward displacement of the staple bridge, the claw is pushed further beneath the bridge until a stage is reached (FIG. 6) where the blade B is rocked upon the intermediate shoulder 11 with an increased amplitude of lifting movement. During this secondary stage of rocking movement the lower jaw 12 is gradually projecte d farther into the staple, the lateral wings 17 entering beneath the staple bridge and their upper side edges, at slot 21, engaging the bridge extremities as they tend to bend downwardly, thus minimizing such downward bending (FIG. 8).

When the jaw 12 has been projected through the staple to an extent sufficient to constrain the staple bridge in slot 21 to remain substantially straight (unbowed) throughout a majority of its length, the tool may be rocked slowly on the rearward fulcrum heel 25 in a final stage of operation in which the staple is slowly and continuously lifted until freed from body E.

During the initial entry of claw 13 beneath a staple bridge the bearing land 14 will function as a runner to facilitate advance of the claw beneath the bridge with a wedging action, the blade being tilted upwardly (FIG. 5) to dispose the land 14 in full length. contact with surface E.

lclaim:

1. A staple lifter comprising:

a handle;

a blade shank projecting axially from said handle;

a blade formed as a forward extension of said shank at an obtuse angle;

a fulcrum heel at the junction of said blade and shank, defining an external corner of said obtuse angle;

said blade having a bottom face for bearing engagement with an anchoring surface in which is embedded a staple to be removed, said bottom face extending forwardly from said heel;

a transverse fulcrum heel defined between said inclined underface and said bottom face;

said lower jaw including, as its central forward extremity, a wedge-shaped entering claw of narrow width projecting forwardly and terminating in a chisel-like point for prying insertion beneath a staple bridge;

said lower jaw includinglateral wings diverging rearwardly from the sides of said entering claw;

and an upper jaw projecting forwardly over said lower jaw and having an under surface spaced above said upper surface of the lower jaw, said upper and under surfaces constituting inner faces defining a slot in which the staple bridge will be received and confined so as to limit upward bowing of thebridge and to holdit against lateral slippage between the jaw in the course of upward lift applied to the staple by rocking the blade on said fulcrum heel, whereby to apply the lift effectively to both legs of the staple.

2. A staple lifter as defined in claim 1:

said entry claw projecting below the underfaces of said lateral wings to define a bearingland of narrow width functioning as a runner to facilitate advance of the claw beneath the bridge with a wedging action with said runner in contact with said anchoring surface and said blade tilted upwardly from said anchoring surface.

3. A staple lifter as defined in claim 2:

said bearing land terminating at its rear end in a narrow forward pry shoulder and said claw having a rearward underface extending rearwardly from said shoulder at a broad obtuseangle to join the rear extremities of said wings, said forward fulcrum shoulder providing for initial rocking of said claw with limited amplitude to facilitate the entry of the claw beneath a staple bridge.

4. A staple lifter as defined in claim 3:

said wings having respective underfaces terminating in an intermediate fulcrum shoulder disposed rearwardly of said forward fulcrum shoulder and defined between said wing underfaces and said bottom face of the blade, said intermediate fulcrum shoulder providing for second stage rocking movement of greater amplitude than said initial stage rocking movement.

5. A staple lifter as defined in claim 4:

said rearward underface of said claw terminating substantially in tangent relation to said intermediate fulcrum shoulder.

6. A staple lifter as defined in claim 1:

said upper jaw having a forward extremity disposed rearwardly of the forward point of said claw whereby said point is exposed to facilitate initial entry beneath a staple.

7. A staple lifter as defined in claim 6:

said jaws having vertically registering side margins.

8. A staple lifter as defined in claim 7:

said registering side margins intersecting said inner faces of the jaws to define edges for gripping engagement with end portions under the lift applied to the bridge.

9. A staple lifter as defined in claim 1:

said inner slot-defining faces of said jaws being substantially flat and parallel whereby said slot is of substantially uniform depth. 

1. A staple lifter comprising: a handle; a blade shank projecting axially from said handle; a blade formed as a forward extension of said shank at an obtuse angle; a fulcrum heel at the junction of said blade and shank, defining an external corner of said obtuse angle; said blade having a bottom face for bearing engagement with an anchoring surface in which is embedded a staple to be removed, said bottom face extending forwardly from said heel; said blade having in its forward portion a lower jaw the underface of which is inclined upwardly and forwardly from said bottom face at an obtuse angle; a transverse fulcrum heel defined between said inclined underface and said bottom face; said lower jaw including, as its central forward extremity, a wedge-shaped entering claw of narrow width projecting forwardly and terminating in a chisel-like point for prying insertion beneath a staple bridge; said lower jaw including lateral wings diverging rearwardly from the sides of said entering claw; and an upper jaw projecting forwardly over said lower jaw and having an under surface spaced above said upper surface of the lower jaw, said upper and under surfaces constituting inner faces defining a slot in which the staple bridge will be received and confined so as to limit upward bowing of the bridge and to hold it against lateral slippage between the jaw in the course of upward lift applied to the staple by rocking the blade on said fulcrum heel, whereby to apply the lift effectively to both legs of the staple.
 2. A staple lifter as defined in claim 1: said entry claw projecting below the underfaces of said lateral wings to define a bearing land of narrow width functioning as a runner to facilitate advance of the claw beneath the bridge with a wedging action with said runner in contact with said anchoring surface and said blade tilted upwardly from said anchoring surface.
 3. A staple lifter as defined in claim 2: said bearing land terminating at its rear end in a narrow forward pry shoulder and said claw having a rearward underface extending rearwardly from said shoulder at a broad obtuse angle to join the rear extremities of said wings, said forward fulcrum shoulder providing for initial rocking of said claw with limited amplitude to facilitate the entry of the claw beneath a staple bridge.
 4. A staple lifter as defined in claim 3: said wings having respective underfaces terminating in an intermediate fulcrum shoulder disposed rearwardly of said forward fulcrum shoulder and defined between said wing underfaces and said bottom face of the blade, said intermediate fulcrum shoulder providing for second stage rocking movement of greater amplitude than said initial stage rocking movement.
 5. A staple lifter as defined in claim 4: said rearward underface of said claw terminating substantially in tangent relation to said intermediate fulcrum shoulder.
 6. A staple lifter as defined in claim 1: said upper jaw having a forward extremity disposed rearwardly of the forward point of said claw whereby said point is exposed to facilitate initial entry beneath a staple.
 7. A staple lifter as defined in claim 6: said jaws having vertically registering side margins.
 8. A staple lifter as defined in claim 7: said registering side margins intersecting said inner faces of the jaws to define edges for gripping engagement with end portions under the lift applied to the bridge.
 9. A staple lifter as defined in claim 1: said inner slot-defining faces of said jaws being substantially flat and parallel whereby said slot is of substantially uniform depth. 